D-Day vet remembers that day, many more, at age 97
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Richard Rybka
Robert L. Curl was just a boy, like so many others, when he enlisted in the Navy. It was the summer of 1943, just a day after graduating from Minor High School in Adamsville. He had to take his dad with him to sign his enlistment papers because he was only 17. “My dad told me he wished he could go with me,” remembers Curl. “He was the best man I’ve ever known.”
The next three and a half years would take him all over the world as a member of the special amphibious unit, “Scouts and Raiders.” A precursor to the modern-day SEAL teams, these special forces were expected to identify landing beaches for troops during World War II and to lead forces to those landing zones.
Veteran Robert Curl shows a V-mail he sent to his sweetheart during World War II.
Curl was a radarman aboard a Landing Cruise Control (LLC) headed to Normandy leading up to D-Day. It was his job on LCC-10 to find Omaha Beach and lead the first two waves of soldiers ashore. “That morning I was scared to death,” he recalls, “But I told myself I’m going to do my best. They had me wear an impregnable suit with a special armband that would change color to let us know if the Germans were using poison gas.”
They had already practiced the invasion during a top-secret mission called Operation Tiger, performed less than two months before. To prepare the Allied Forces as much as possible, this full-scale rehearsal for D-Day took place on the south coast of England. “It’s a good thing we did it,” said Curl. “There was a problem with what they called the Mae West lifejacket. During Operation Tiger, these were new, and the soldiers didn’t wear them right. So many people died in the waters because of that. They learned from it and taught people how to use them right.”
At 97 years old, Curl is sharp as a tack and recalls stories with vivid detail. Despite the wartime and personal tragedy he has experienced, he is one of the most positive and genuinely happy people you could ever meet.
He spent more than 70 years with the love of his life, whom he met just before the war. When he talks about his Nell (Spring) Curl, his face beams.
He met her the first Sunday after his Methodist minister father moved them to a new town. “When we got to church that day, I saw the most beautiful girl in the world doing the devotion,” Curl tells. “I leaned over to the guy next to me and told him I was going to marry that girl.”
He had to wait until the end of the war, but in 1946, he married his sweetheart. He shows me a piece of Victory Mail (V-Mail) that he sent to her during Operation Tiger dated “April 1944 – from somewhere in England.” Though she passed away in 2015, he still talks to her every evening before bed.
Curl still drives and often goes on road trips with his two sons, Rick and David. He tells of his first car, long since traded. “Ever heard of a Crosley,” he asks. “I had a ’46 Crosley and it had a whopping 46-horsepower engine the size of a carton of cigarettes,” he adds, laughing.
Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home a model for the country to follow
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Richard Rybka
As the country honors its veterans this Veterans Day, Pell City is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its innovative Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home. This year’s celebration includes a party with special guests, along with a road trip to participate in the 75th Birmingham Veterans Day Parade.
Twelve years ago, construction began on a state-of-the-art facility for veterans on 26 acres of land in Pell City donated by the St. Clair County Economic Development Council. After two years of construction, the $50-million home opened its doors. Named for Col. Robert L. Howard, a highly decorated United States Army Special Forces officer from Opelika, it was one of a handful like it across the nation.
What’s different about Pell City’s veterans home is both the design and management. It was built using the “Green House Model,” a design concept that features residential houses built in small neighborhood-style configurations. This contrasts the more typical multi-bed, multi-hall, single-building style of nursing home.
In the case of the Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home, the 240,000-square-foot facility has three neighborhoods, each with three 14-bedroom houses. The houses also have their owncommon spaces, including living rooms, dining rooms, staffed kitchens and porches. A single roof connects all three neighborhoods, so residents and staff do not have to go out in the weather to get from one place to another.
Gone, too, are the bustling nurses’ stations. Instead, smaller “home offices” contain the computers and information nursing staff need to assist the residents of a particular house. Specialized nursing equipment is tucked neatly away in storage rooms.
Kenneth, Hillary and Robert
The structures are designed to feel like single-family homes, with services in the neighborhood like you might find in a typical town. Residents can go to the main building, called the “Town Center,” for services including dining options; physical, occupational or speech therapy; and even a haircut. Residents can use the onsite medical director as their family doctor, while still going off property to see specialists.
An unexpected benefit of the smaller-home style of skilled nursing care became evident at the onset of the pandemic. “Having private rooms and smaller units definitely helped keep COVID from spreading,” said director Hiliary Hardwick.
The Green House Model advantage is not just about facilities, though. The staff offer residents choices in most aspects of the daily schedule. Whether the choice is what time to get up, what to eat, or when to eat, the choices at Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home honor the veteran’s dignity and quality of life.
Over the past decade, delegations from several different states have come to town to see how this model facility works. Most recently, the veterans home hosted groups from Mississippi, Idaho and Oklahoma looking to experience the real-life application of the Green House Model prior to planning for their own veterans homes.
The Pell City veteran residents are happy to have been among the first in the country to take advantage of the new style of home.“I want to thank the people of Pell City and all of Alabama for building this place,” says WWII veteran Robert Curl. Showing the day’s menu choices, he adds, “Look at what we get to eat! I tell everyone I live in a country club. It’s a really great place.”
Talladega native and veteran Kenneth Scoggins agrees. He moved in just four months after it opened and has served as president of the residents’ council for the last seven years. “It’s great, very clean and none of those smells you smell at other places,” he says. “I told someone (when I moved in) that I must have died and gone to nursing home heaven. We do things all the time, even go to ball games and out to eat.”
“We do have a lot to do around here,” agrees Hardwick. “There are always activities offered. We have Bible studies, pet therapy visits, musical guests, and special speakers. James Spann, author and weatherman from ABC 33/40, was recently here with us.”
The facility does have a waiting list of nine months to a year, but Hardwick encourages anyone who qualifies to fill out an application. Qualifications include having served a minimum of 90 days of active duty, with at least one of those days having been during a period of war; having been honorably discharged and having been evaluated for medical needs.
Hardwick was a nurse at Trinity Hospital before leaving to help open the Pell City veterans facility. It’s a move she is very happy to have made. Her enthusiasm for her work is evident when she talks about the residents she spends time with each day. “I love being here where I get to interact with and help people who lived and breathed the history I’ve only read about in history books,” she says.
The 254 residents look forward to all holidays, Hardwick says, but none as much as they do Christmas. “At Christmas time, it looks like you’ve gone to Gatlinburg, we have so many trees decorated,” she explains. “We have an angel tree that we do for the veterans. People can take an angel off the tree and buy a couple of things a veteran wanted. Then at their Christmas party, they have gifts to open.”
Hardwick encourages anyone to get in touch with her if you would like to participate in the angel tree, help with the home’s benevolence fund or even donate bingo prizes. They also have in-person volunteer opportunities for those who might like to spend some time visiting a veteran.
Editor’s Note:To apply to the Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home, contact them at www.va.alabama.gov. For volunteer opportunities, contact Hiliary Hardwick at 205-338-6487.
Story by Scottie Vickery Submitted and archive Photos
When the day-to-day demands begin to get overwhelming, Urainah Glidewell knows it’s time for a little outdoor therapy. That’s when she laces up her hiking boots and heads for the woods in search of the road – or trail – less traveled and the joy she finds out in nature.
“Hiking is one of my favorite things to do,” she said. “Getting away from technology and the stresses of life is very peaceful and calming. It really helps to clear your mind. We focus on the things around us, and when the things around us are calming, you feel more calm within.”
Glidewell doesn’t have to go far to find the peace she craves. St. Clair County, nestled at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, has an ever-growing list of beautiful options for getting away from it all. And fall, with its cooler temps and breathtaking colors, is the perfect time to plan an escape.
It’s one of Josh Reyes’ favorite times to head to one of his preferred places, Horse Pens 40, an historic park at the top of Chandler Mountain in Steele featuring ancient rock formations. Although Reyes, an avid boulderer, goes for the climbing, he usually can’t resist heading to the end of the trail that overlooks the valley. “It makes for some gorgeous sunsets,” he said. “It’s a beautiful view you don’t have to work hard to get to.”
Enjoying the beauty that St. Clair County has to offer is the main draw for Glidewell. “For me, it’s being out in nature, enjoying the flora and fauna and seeing If I can spot any animals,” she said. “I’m not as focused on how many steps I’ve taken. Pretty soon, I’ve hiked five miles, and it doesn’t feel like it. Five miles on a treadmill feels a lot different.”
Regardless of whether you have time for just a quick trek or a full day to explore, finding a change of scenery and mindset is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. So, when you’re ready to hit the trails, here are some places to start:
Camp Sumatanga
Sumatanga Camp and Conference Center, founded as a United Methodist camping ministry in Gallant, offers a one-mile Mountain Trail that ends at Creel Chapel at the top of Chandler Mountain. There is also the paved Rosenau Lake Trail that begins at Pool Camp, the historic center of the facility that includes eight original cabins and winds around Lake Sumatanga.
The trails are open to the public from August to May but are reserved for campers during June and July, according to Camp Sumatanga’s Leslie McClendon. Visitors are asked to check in at the lodge, where trail maps are available, so the staff can know who is on the property. Dogs must be leashed, and no one is allowed on the trails at night.
“Sumatanga” is the Himalayan word for a place of rest and vision, and that’s exactly what hikers can expect to find. Although considered a more moderate hike, the Mountain Trail is the most popular because of the beautiful view from the chapel. “It’s just you, nature and God,” McClendon said. “We always say that if you can’t find God at Sumatanga, you can’t find God.”
Part of The Preserves, Alabama Power’s public-use properties, Double Cove Park was previously known as Logan Martin Dam Park. The day-use park, open from daylight to dusk, features a beach and swimming area, two fishing piers, grills, picnic tables, restrooms, and pavilions, as well as a view of Logan Martin dam. The park also boasts a playground and several trails ranging from just over a mile to just under two miles. Although leashed dogs are allowed on the trails, they are not allowed at the park.
“This, for me, is a hidden gem,” Glidewell said. “They have some absolutely beautiful trails going back through the woods with some wonderful benches and gazebos tucked away.”
Alabama Power offers more than 70 public-use properties around 12 reservoirs on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers. Some are boat launches or picnic spots while others, like Double Cove, have a number of amenities.
“We have some wonderful recreation sites, and they’re all free for everyone’s use,” said Josh Yerby, a team leader for Alabama Power’s Shoreline Recreation.
Horse Pens 40, with what Reyes calls its “corridors of beautifully sculpted sandstone formations,” is well known and respected in climbing circles and is one of three sites in the Triple Crown Bouldering Series.
Resting on a rock at Horse Pens 40
“We have a lot more people from out of state than in-state come visit,” said Ashley Ensign, a member of the Schultz family that operates the park. “We have people who come out and stay for an hour or come and stay all day. There’s lots to explore.”
The park is home to 60 rare, threatened, protected or endangered species, and Ensign said it’s like an undeveloped Rock City. “There’s no concrete pathway, nothing is paved,” she said. Instead, the trails wind around the ancient boulder field, ending at the overlook that Reyes and others have come to love. “It’s a beautiful place with absolutely beautiful trails and a lot of history,” Glidewell said.
Billed by the family as “the South’s best kept secret,” Horse Pens 40 was occupied by Native Americans, including the Creeks and Cherokees. “The first humans to see the mountain would have considered it a huge fortress that could provide them protection, shelter, food and water throughout the year,” according to the website.
The boulders form a natural corral, and “it’s called Horse Pens 40 because the Native Americans chased wild horses and herded them up so they could break them and tame them,” said Reyes. He lives in Jacksonville but has become something of an expert about the park he’s been visiting for 20 years, usually two or three times a month. “It reminds us that we weren’t the first ones here.”
In addition to trails and boulders, the park, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., offers primitive camping, RV hookups, eight cabins, picnic areas and a playground. No dogs are allowed in the park, and the day use fee is $10 per person. Children under 10 are admitted free.
For information and directions, visit www.hp40com.
Lakeside Park
If you want proof that getting away from it all doesn’t mean you have to go far, look no further than Lakeside Park in Pell City. Next to the Civic Center on Stemley Bridge Road, the park is built on 65 acres and is a beautiful oasis bordering Logan Martin Lake.
Wetlands boardwalk at Lakeside Park in Pell City
“If you have a quick 15 or 30 minutes and want a nice place to get out and experience some beautiful nature and get some exercise, it’s a great place to do it,” Glidewell said. “If people are just starting out it’s an easy trial. The walking track goes along the lake and there’s a trail through the woods as well.”
The Native Plant Walking Trail, a project of the Pell City Garden Club that spans two acres, is only one draw of the park, where many people go to spend the day.
Along the way, discover Wetlands Boardwalk Project, an effort by Logan Martin Lake Protection Association to preserve Logan Martin’s wetlands area and to raise awareness about the critical role wetlands plays in the environment and to educate youths on its importance.
A hand-built, 70-foot walkway guides you into the natural wetlands, and a 40-by-12-foot observation platform allows you to take in the scenery and sounds of nature. Signs from the platform identify the plants seen from the boardwalk and observation deck.
But the walking trail doesn’t end there, it also winds around the park, which features a beach and swimming area, boat launch, restrooms, picnic tables, pavilions, fishing piers and an amphitheater available for rent, and a newly rebuilt Kids Kastle playground that is a hit with kids of all ages. During the summer months, the Splash Pad is a popular destination.
The park is open from 6:30 a.m. to sunset. Dogs are allowed but must be on leashes. For more information, visit www.pell-city.com/lakeside-park.
Ten Islands
Another of The Preserves’ offerings, Ten Island Historic Park in Ragland, has a long and storied past. Some speculate that the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, crossed the river at this point in the 1540s, according to Alabama Power’s website for the Preserves.
The indigenous Creek first named the site of this park “Oti Palin,” which means Ten Islands, after a series of small islands along the Coosa River, the majority of which no longer exists. The Creeks settled on the largest island, Wood Island, which was later used when Neely Henry Dam was constructed.
Ten Islands Park
Today, the park, which is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is part of the Alabama Birding Trails, is considered one of the best public spots for bird watching. Ten Islands offers a boat launch, beach and swimming area, restrooms, multiple picnic pavilions and tables, two fishing piers and gazebos. And although the trails, which total nearly two miles, have long been a big draw, the opportunity to travel through the woods has been opened up to even more people.
“We’ve cut another trail into the woods with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant slopes,” Yerby said of the project that was scheduled to be in September. “It runs alongside the other trail and connects them at certain points, so it will add about another ¾ of a mile.”
The new trail will give those who use wheelchairs “the experience of being in a truly wooded area on a nature trail,” he said. “We have projects like this going on all over the state.”
Dogs on leashes are allowed on the trails, but not in the park area. For information and directions, visit www.apcpreserves.com.
Coming Soon
Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, a 422-acre Forever Wild property, will soon offer even more options for hiking in St. Clair County. The groundbreaking for the project was held in March, and plans call for a series of trails that will eventually cross the preserve.
He sights his target at the end of the alley, some 12 feet away. Picking up the axe, he loosens his grip slightly to allow a perfectly timed release. Keeping his eye on the prize, he pulls the axe back, steps quickly forward and releases his throw. The resulting sound of axe blade meeting wood brings a smile to the thrower. This is the sport of axe throwing, and that thrower could be you.
Brand new to Pell City, Logan Martin Axe Throwing may be the new perfect date night activity for your next Saturday night. Or it may be a great option for your next birthday party or group event. They even offer discounts for groups of thirty or more.
Axe throwing is nothing new, but really gained recognition as a sport due to competitions involving logging camps. By the mid-1900s, logger sports were gaining in popularity as loggers looked for ways to entertain themselves while living in camps for months at a time.
Less than a century later, the urban version of the sport of axe throwing is becoming wildly popular around the world. There are even international leagues like the World Axe Throwing League and the International Axe Throwing Federation for competition level players.
“We’re not part of any league; it’s just for fun for groups, date nights and for families. The reason I wanted to open a place here is that my wife and friends and I had to drive to Trussville, Birmingham or Gadsden to enjoy the sport,” explains owner Zayne Ferguson. “Especially now, with the price of gas, it’s nice not to have to drive far. My brother and I always threw hatchets at trees growing up. It’s a lot of fun!”
Ferguson shows just how easy it is to hit the target.
His new venture shares the space with the CrossFit gym he opened in 2020. A competitive powerlifter for five years, he left his job at a local paint store to open a gym in a storefront on U.S. 231.
“Fitness is my passion,” he says, “especially CrossFit.” So, he got certified as a coach and called his business CrossFit231. He quickly outgrew that space and rented the current 8,000-square-foot warehouse building on Cogswell Avenue. He moved into the space in July and quickly realized he had room to start his own axe throwing business inside the gym.
“I was at a birthday party at an axe throwing business in Birmingham. I did the math and calculated startup and operations costs,” Zayne explains. “Then I went to work making it happen.” He admits he probably works more now, but enjoys it much more.
Zayne grew up in St. Clair County, graduated from Pell City High School, played football for a Mississippi college, then returned to his hometown. He and his wife, Irish, enjoy living in the Pell City area.
His extended family has a sawmill in Cook Springs, which is a big help in getting the wood for the targets. They have to be replaced every week or two as the wood wears out from the repetitive strikes of the axe blades. He says using poplar or pine is best.
As expected, the targets have the usual rings and bullseye, but there’s also something perhaps unexpected to the new thrower. At the top of the targets are two blue dots. A strike between those two dots, referred to as “the clutch,” represents extra skill and comes with extra points.
The axes here are a much lighter version than typical throwing axes. Whereas competition axes weigh over two pounds and have long, wooden handles, those at Logan Martin Axe Throwing are under a pound and are made of high-carbon steel. This allows the thrower to easily utilize a one-handed throw style.
“I did extensive research on this,” adds Zayne. “Most places use axes that have a rubber grip, which can make it harder to release right. I purchased lighter, more throwing-sized axes.”
While people are waiting for their turn in the throwing stalls, they can enjoy a quick game of cornhole or giant Jenga. “We want it to feel like we’re just hanging in the backyard having fun,” Zayne says. “That’s what I always shoot for.”
To add even more to the atmosphere, they’re scheduling live music as often as they can. Local food trucks will be set up outside the rollup doors to enable patrons to enjoy a full evening of entertainment.
Every group will receive safety training from one of the coaches or “Axe Masters,” as they are called here. Closed-toe shoes are a must and the minimum age to throw is 10 years old.
Logan Martin Axe Throwing just opened a month ago and are already booking weeks out. They are open Saturdays from 1 to 11 p.m. and additional times for group reservations.
Online pre-booking is highly recommended. Individual throwers pay $25 plus tax for an hour. l
Editor’s note:You can book your axe throwing experience at loganmartinaxe.com.
Making sorghum syrup is a process handed down through generations, and White’s Mountain is sharing its history, how it’s done and of course, the sweet taste with the public in a festival that kicks off Thursday, Sept. 29, and goes through Saturday, Oct. 1.
Stripping of the cane field has begun, and a photo session and unloading cane from the fields are set for Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. at White’s Mountain in St. Clair Springs.
On Sept. 30 at 8 a.m., pressing and cooking cane will begin. And on Oct. 1 at 8 a.m., cooking and bottling will be the main event.
It’s a free, public event at White’s Mountain Park, 400 Whites Mountain Lane, Springville.
What’s involved?
The process of making sorghum syrup from a crop which was commonly grown throughout the South during the days of our ancestors, supplied a very important food staple for rural families of this period.
The syrup, with its distinctive flavor and sweetness, was a very popular ingredient for home baked treats and meals. The Sorghum was easily stored, and several jars were procured for later consumption and secured in pantries or root cellars.
As the cane – grown on individual farms – matured, the farmers initiated the syrup making process by stripping the leaves and seed heads from the cane, cutting the mature cane and transporting it to a centrally located mill where the juice was pressed from the cane.
The Sorghum cane juice was collected and poured into a long metal pan or sometimes a large round pan and was carefully and slowly cooked into a golden, delicious syrup. When the syrup reached the desired color and consistency, it was bottled and returned to the cane owner minus the processing fee, which went to the mill operator as payment for making the syrup.
The finished product became popular throughout the South for its distinctive flavor and became a very desirable addition to ancestral as well as modern day pantries and recipes.
The traditional process of making syrup (sorghum) from home grown cane is performed each September at White’s Mountain Park.
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
When Lawrence Fields soon steps down from his role as chair of the St. Clair County Health Authority, he’ll be closing the door on more than three decades of community service.
A former two-term mayor of Pell City, his impact has been significant. Fields opened the door to economic development in a most creative way, and he was instrumental in bringing St. Vincent’s St. Clair to the area. These days, however, after a lifetime of looking out for others, he’s having to shift the focus to himself.
“I’m being treated for lung cancer,” the 80-year-old Fields said. “I’m trying to whup that, so it’s time to step aside and let someone else ride the horse for a while.”
He’s leaving a big saddle to fill. “I really believe that Lawrence’s impact on Pell City and beyond is immeasurable,” said Guin Robinson, who became mayor a few years after Fields’ last term and is now associate dean of economic development for Jefferson State Community College. “He truly has a servant’s heart. Not everyone who gets into politics has a servant’s heart, but Lawrence does.”
Finding home
Fields, the first self-described “outsider” to be elected mayor, served from 1988-1996. Born in Birmingham, he moved to Pell City in 1974 after he and his wife, Brenda, fell in love with Logan Martin Lake. “We started camping out here on the lake and on Sunday afternoon, we’d always hate to go home,” Fields said. “Finally, Brenda asked why we didn’t just move here.”
They built a home on the lake, he got a job with an insurance company, and she started substitute teaching. In 1978, Brenda got her real estate license and has been selling homes ever since. She and her partner, Bill Gossett, own Fields Gossett Realty in Pell City.
“A lot of people start out here with a weekend home, a summer home,” said Fields, who earned his real estate license and joined the company following his last term as mayor and was recently the first to be inducted into St. Clair County Association of Realtors’ Prestigious Hall of Fame. “The more they end up staying here, the more they like it, and they make it permanent. It’s convenient to Birmingham and Atlanta, but you don’t have the hustle and bustle.”
St. Vincent’s St. Clair ribbon cutting in Pell City
From the moment he made the move, Fields got busy making an impact. He decided to run for mayor because “I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to help people,” he said. “When I became the mayor, I didn’t want to be highfalutin. I just wanted to be a regular guy and have the mayor’s door open so people could just come in and talk to the mayor. I think I did a good job of that.”
State Rep. Randy Wood recently sponsored a resolution passed by the House of Representatives praising Fields for his contributions to the community. It credits Fields as “a man of steadfast selflessness and unwavering diligence who is passionate about serving others.” It also cites other accomplishments – annexing Mays Bend, Eagle Point and Stemley Bridge into Pell City and recruiting ConTel (now CenturyLink), Kmart and other businesses.
Pell City Lakeside Park opened during his administration, a sprawling destination point on Logan Martin Lake’s shoreline that now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The resolution praises Fields for being a charter member of Lakeside Hospice, a member of the Pell City Rotary Club and for the contributions he made serving more than 20 years as president of the Athletic Booster Club. The resolution noted that Fields spearheaded the efforts to build a new field house and install a sprinkler system on the high school’s football field.
That’s all well and good, but what Fields really wants to talk about is Katie Couric.
National news
The journalist and former news anchor, who was co-host of NBC’s Today Show at the time, came to Pell City in 1996 to interview Fields when the city hosted the Bosnian Olympic team for the Olympics in Atlanta. According to The Washington Post, Pell City was one of more than 70 towns in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida that hosted foreign athletes.
The late Sam Meason approached Fields with the idea, and Fields said they formed a committee, and “we put in an offer to house them and take care of them. They were here about a month,” he said. “We rolled out the red carpet for them.”
The city won high praises for its efforts. “Few communities have done more to prepare for their guests than Pell City,” the Washington Post story read. “During the past four, war-torn years, most Bosnian athletes have had to train outside of their country. The Bosnian Olympic Committee has no funds and has had to rely on the International Olympic Committee for help in qualifying athletes and paying their way. Hosting the Bosnians will cost Pell City about $150,000; all but $30,000 of that has been donated by local businesses. The rest will come from community fundraisers.”
It was enough to bring Couric calling. “Sam came to me and said, ‘Hey Mayor, we got a call from NBC, and Katie Couric wants to interview you,” Fields said and grinned. “I said, ‘Lord have mercy, here’s my chance for fame.’”
Couric had told Fields he could only tell a few people about the interview, but when “the big old black limo rolled up at the old Rexall drugstore,” a crowd of hundreds of people had gathered. “She said, ‘I thought I told you a few,’ and I said, ‘Well, this is a small town. I told a few, and they told another few,’” Fields said and laughed.
Couric was the one laughing a few minutes later after she asked Fields to identify the most exciting thing that had happened in Pell City before hosting the athletes. “I told her it probably was when Kmart came, and everybody cracked up,” Fields remembered. “Then Katie asked if we could start over so she could ask me the same question without her laughing this time.”
Recruiting practices
The fact is, when Kmart opened in Pell City, it was big news. It was the early 1990s, long before St. Clair was growing as fast as it is now, and no big-box stores had been willing to gamble. “We didn’t have anywhere people could shop,” Fields said.
When he read in the paper that Kmart CEO Joseph Antonini would be attending a ribbon cutting at a new store in Birmingham, Fields made plans to attend. “I gave him one of my cards and said, ‘I’m the mayor of Pell City, and we want a Kmart in town.’ He said to write him a letter, so I did.”
The letter wasn’t the only thing Fields sent. He and Joe Wheeler, owner of Pell City Steakhouse, wanted to give Antonini a real taste of what the city had to offer, so they started shipping him packages of some of Pell City’s finest each week.
“We shipped big old shrimp, we shipped steak, we shipped honey, we shipped all kinds of things,” Fields said. “Finally, Mr. Antonini’s secretary said we didn’t have to ship anything else. He knew where Pell City was.”
Not long after, they received official word that Kmart was coming, Winn-Dixie and other businesses soon followed. “Kmart was a turning point,” Fields said.
Robinson agreed. “It really was a big deal,” he said, adding that he believes it marked the beginning of Pell City’s economic development and ability to recruit industry. “It sent a message that we were open for business. One hallmark of a leader is finding a way, when the odds are stacked against you, of bringing a project to fruition.”
Advancing healthcare
Despite his accomplishments, Fields decided not to run for a third term because of the time it took away from Brenda and their three children. “It takes a lot of dedication and time, and your family has to make a lot of sacrifices,” Fields said of the job. “Your phone rings constantly, and normally at night. My kids asked me not to run again, so I didn’t.”
That didn’t mean he was giving up on public service, however. Fields has been a member of the St. Clair County Health Authority for more than 20 years and has served as chair for much of that time. He, along with members of the authority, the St. Clair County Commission, the City of Pell City, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council and Ascension Health, the parent company of St. Vincent’s St. Clair, worked tirelessly to bring the hospital to the area.
The state-of-the-art hospital opened in 2011 and changed the face of healthcare throughout the entire region. It also made Pell City and St. Clair County more attractive to industries, manufacturers and corporations and proved to be a major recruiting tool for economic development.
At the time, Fields called it “one of the best economic engines to come to St. Clair in a long time” because quality healthcare is something employers want for their employees. “It was my last big accomplishment,” he said recently.
Team effort
Although Fields’ impact is evident throughout Pell City, he is quick to credit others, as well. “I didn’t do anything by myself,” he said. “I had a lot of help and a lot of people who were behind me 100 percent. These days it’s always ‘I, I, I,’ but that’s not necessary. It should be ‘we, we, we.’”
Fields has recently learned that he still has a big team that will always have his back. “A lot of people have called since they found out I had cancer, and they want to know what they can do to help me,” he said. “It’s just so good to have friends. I’d rather have friends than money.”
